RUMOR: DeMarcus Cousins wants Kings to draft Willie Cauley-Stein

SACRAMENTO, CA — It’s no secret DeMarcus Cousins’ partnership with the Sacramento Kings has been a bit rocky.

If decided by Facebook, their relationship status would definitely be listed as “It’s Complicated.”

But despite constant rumors of contentious behavior and Boogie being traded, the NBA All-Star may have finally found a reason (besides money) to stay in Sacramento:

Willie. Cauley. Stein.

The First Team All-American impressed head coach George Karl and team representatives at a Kings pre-draft workout on Thursday, and rumor has it Cousins has asked the team to pick Cauley-Stein with its No. 6 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

According to ESPN writer Ryen Russillo, Cousins would like to team up with the fellow former UK Wildcat so he can change over to power forward and not play center.

Even though DeMarcus has shown increased commitment to the defensive end in recent years, a true rim protector would a game-changer for the perennially underachieving Kings, making Cauley-Stein a potentially perfect fit.

Willie was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award last season at Kentucky and has drawn comparisons to being the next Tyson Chandler in the NBA.

KSTV discussed the potential pairing for DeMarcus and Willie in Sacramento and why it could be a win-win-win situation for both players and the Kings organization.